Napoli open to Dzeko, Cavani exchange

21 May 2013 02:27

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed on Tuesday that he would be willing to discuss a deal with Manchester City that would see strikers Edin Dzeko and Edinson Cavani move in opposite directions.

"I have said to (sporting director Riccardo) Bigon: 'Go and see City to negotiate a bit for Dzeko and see what they are prepared to do for Cavani," De Laurentiis said during a public meeting in Naples.

The Napoli president has already indicated that he would be willing to release the Uruguayan striker, who was the top scorer in Serie A this season with 29 goals, for a fee of 60 million euros (Â£51m, $77m).

Cavani has scored 104 goals in three seasons for Napoli since signing from Palermo.

His goals have helped Napoli qualify for the Champions League twice. They finished second in Serie A this season behind Juventus and won the Italian Cup last year.

A big-money signing from Wolfsburg in January 2011, Bosnian striker Dzeko scored 15 goals in all competitions in the season just finished, but has often had to make do with a place on the City bench.

Meanwhile, De Laurentiis denied suggestions that he has been in contact with Chelsea's interim manager Rafael Benitez about a move to southern Italy.

"I did not go to London for Benitez.it was to prepare the release of a film about Steve Jobs," said De Laurentiis, a film producer, in response to reports in the Italian press.